Useful tips

• You should be aware that many hotels don't allow visitors in your room. Some do but if the visitor leaves the passport in lobby.



• American Express is not accepted in most banks, better leave it home! Visa, MasterCard, Maestro are fine. With travel checks you will spend much time cashing them.



• Credit cards aren't accepted in all stores and restaurants, you always need to have some cash in case.



• If you want to withdraw local currency called "hrivnas" from your credit card account you may use ATM machines but you will be charged of %3 conversion fee. But you may go bank with your passport and get cash in USD or Euros depending on your currency account, you will be charged just %1.



• Usually tips in cafes, bars, retaurants aren't included but always ask if it's in or not. Tips are optional here and usually are like %10 or less.



• In taxi as soon as they notice you are a foreigner they will charge you double, triple... Better leave your mouth shut and let your local friend discuss the price :)



• In Ukraine you may wave your arm and stop regular car for having a ride for some money. Don't do that if you are alone - you will be charged much more than the local person would have been charged.



• You will not find the names of streets written in English, it is very convenient having a map in your language with you.



• Hotels are too expensive in Ukraine, private flats are cheaper and of better quality.



• The airplanes registration starts 2 hours before the flight and ends one hour before. If you are late for the registration even the plane would depart in 50 minutes you have a high chance of not to be passed on the airplane. Ridiculous but happened once with one American client and he had to buy new tickets and lost his money.